Hands down, one of the best historical espionage thrillers I have ever read. I mean, not that I read a lot in that genre, but I’ve certainly done my share with Len Deighton and Phillip Kerr. I was really excited to find this author.
My love for historical fiction is known to anyone who has read even a few entries on this blog. Most of them are straight fiction, although a few have had a mystery involved. This is one of the first in my current reading streak that is straight-up espionage. And the timing couldn’t have been better.
Going off-track for a moment: My family and I recently found “Churchill’s Secret Agents ” on Netflix. It was a reality show where the participants went through the same training that SOE agents did during WWII. It was extremely well-done and very informative.
It also put me in an excellent frame of mind for this book.
In this third Richard Prince adventure, his task is more dangerous than previous ones (apparently – more on that in a minute). When British paratroopers are ambushed, it’s up to him to figure out how the enemy knew where they would be. Or is it the enemy? Is there a traitor in the midst, or is the espionage just that intricate?
Like I’m going to tell you any of those things.
The plot is extremely detailed, and the author knows how to build the tension that surrounds spying in a time of war while keeping it realistic and not verging into fantastical. It would have been easy for the author to go for the thriller and lose plausibility, but he didn’t.
As to be expected with an espionage thriller, there are intricacies, twists, and surprises. These were all well-done and kept me engaged through the entire book.
The only negative I have (and this is totally on me) is that I had not read the previous books. While the plot in this book is a standalone, there is an awful lot of backstory that is missing if you don’t have the first two books under your belt first.
I know that I would have enjoyed this book even more than I did if I had read the first two; there would have been more depth to the character, I think, and some of his motivations might have been clearer.
I’m going to remedy that by grabbing the first two but do yourself a favor and start with them. Read them in order. And don’t read them quickly. Allow yourself the time to sink into Richard Prince’s world. You won’t be sorry.
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About Alex Gerlis:
Alex Gerlis is the author of the acclaimed Spies series of four Second World War espionage thrillers which are noted for their detailed research and intricate plots and feature two great adversaries: the British spymaster Edgar and his Soviet counterpart Viktor. The television/film rights for The Best of Our Spies have been bought by a major production company.
Born in Lincolnshire, Alex was a BBC journalist for nearly 30 years. He lives in west London with his wife and family and three black cats, a breed which makes cameo appearances in his books. He’s a lifelong supporter of Grimsby Town, which has provided some preparation for the highs and lows of writing novels. When asked if he has worked in the field of espionage he declines to answer in the hope some people may think he has.
Thanks so much x